An awe-inspiring road to the summit to Mount Lovcen
Mount Lovcen is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.675m (5,495ft) above the sea level located in the south-western part of Montenegro.
Nestled within the rocky region of the Dinaric Alps, the challenging road to the summit is mostly unpaved, very windy and full of turns. So if you are not experienced driver you might want to consider taking a taxi to the top. It's 10.1 km long (6km paved+4km unpaved). The landscape changes after every curve and there are many. The road is windy, but worth doing. At the summit are a few communication towers. 4x4 vehicle required to complete the ascent.
Located in the Mount Lovćen National Park, the road is very steep. Starting from the scenic P1 road (at 943 meters above the sea level), the road is 10.9 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 732 meters. The average gradient is 6,71%. If you’re planning on hiking, come prepared as the temperature is on average 10ºC cooler than on the coast and Lovćen’s prone to sudden changes in summer. The road is equal parts exciting and inspiring (not to mention challenging) and full of views that visitors would otherwise miss out on. View from Lovćen from all sides leaves an unrepeatable and unforgettable visual impression. Places that offer such distant and unrepeatable views are numerous: Jezerski vrh, Štirovnik, old road Krstac-Ivanova korita, Austrian strategic roads that lead to the mountain tops, Kotor serpentines – specific projecting and construction phenomenon. Exposed to the steep Lovćen slope and the Bay of Boka Kotortska – serpentines are an unrepeatable experience.
Pic: Daan van Berkel